I’ve been very stressed lately and have been doing some window shopping to calm down. I’m interested in gadgets, but a lot of things can just be replaced with apps. I realize a phone won’t replace very large appliances like refrigerators or washing machines so I’m trying to scope my question to portable devices. So what are some portable devices or gadgets that their specialization hasn’t been replaced by smart phone apps? Extra points if they’re super useful and reliable.
Radiation detectors. Such as the Radiacode or the Open Gamma Detector.
Binoculars are quite portable, very useful, and phones don’t do a good job at zooming in like that.
Smart watches integrate with phones but the phones by themselves are not so good at measuring the heart rate and other parameters directly.
Mini projectors. UV flashlights. Tools in general… There is so much actually. What type of gadgets are you looking for?
https://www.wired.com/2012/05/softbank-unveils-worlds-first-phone-with-radiation-detection/
Your other points are valid.
Ooh, cool! 😁 That detector seems to be working only in “Geiger mode”, which means that it can count the number of X-rays/Gamma particles but it does not estimate their energy. So, the dedicated devices are still better in that they allow you to identify the source of the radiation by measuring the counts and the energy distribution simultaneously.
It probably would not be too difficult to build the open gamma detector into something like a pinephone. I don’t think that has been done yet.
Can phones “detect” really high radiation on the camera if it’s high enough or is that film only?
Cleverly, even low levels can be detected. I love how creative early smartphone developers could be.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rdklein.radioactivity
What do you mean? Early apps was all stuff like this that nobody used. Nowadays apps are useful fintech services and photo filter apps that cost less than a coffee per month and fun free games that everyone can play, isn’t that much better?
/s
Yes. The camera pixels generate a current in response to light. You can add some filters to block certain wavelengths of light (like UV) from getting to the camera sensor, and tune the pixels so that they respond more to to specific colors. But X-rays and gamma rays can just pass through the filter. Often they will pass through sensor as well, but, in the cases that they do get absorbed by the sensor, they can also produce a current that to the camera’s readout electronics looks like other light would.
The gamma detectors I mentioned are very very sensitive. They respond to single X-ray/Gamma ray particles. These detectors can count how many individual particles collide with a small crystal cube every second. These crystals are special in that they produce a very tiny flash of light when an X-ray or gamma particle collides with them. As an added bonus, these sensors can directly measure the energy of the particles by measuring the strength of the flash, and from this information they can construct not only the total counts but also a spectrum. With this extreme sensitivity these detectors can measure small quantities of radiation that come from space, from rocks, and from other materials.
I looked for a video of a phone going through an X-ray machine, and found these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8iSoPhtY3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1YaroH6lHA
The white specks that you can see near second 25 (first video) and second 34 (second video) could be a result of the X-rays. I am not sure, but it seems reasonable to me. On contrast, when I put my radiacode through the X-ray machine in the airport the radiacode reacts very strongly and becomes saturated.
There were a couple projector phones. Samsung Galaxy Beam 1 & 2
Wilderness beacon. Rarely any signal out there. Yes you can an arm and a leg for special service though
I know some phones are starting to work with satellite comms, so these may be replaced by cell phones in the near future. At least currently, I have several friends who still have wilderness beacons.
They’ll never replace PLB/EPIRBs unless they bake in 406Mhz and 121.5Mhz communication. Satellite devices aren’t reliable enough for SAR. I’d even argue that they won’t replace Satellite Communicators - battery life isn’t good enough and the connection stability isn’t good enough
Best way to calm down would be to look into minimalism.
Almost any gadget to some degree.
Mobile phone has a lot of features for sure, you can have anything from cameras to navigation, flashlight, MP3 player etc but none of those features can really match to a purpose built device.
Mobile phones get especially crippled when you’re days out without a chance to charge.
Mobile phones get especially crippled when you’re days out without a chance to charge.
For some reason, US options for large-battery smartphones are limited, but there are a number of manufacturers in China that make very-large-battery smartphones. These are sometimes described as “ruggedized” and also have a large, durable case. There’s a class of “ruggedized” laptops, like the Toughbook, that fill a similar role for laptops (though those are pretty pricey).
https://www.amazon.com/DOOGEE-MAX-Smartphone-22000mAh-Unlocked/dp/B0BRQ3KKQK
https://chinagadgetsreviews.com/oukitel-wp100-titan-rugged-smartphone-with-built-in-projector.html
These have batteries maybe four or more times the capacity of a typical smartphone.
It’s also possible to carry a USB powerstation. That’s a little obnoxious for day-to-day carry, but if you’re going to be away from electricity for days on end, you’re probably going to be carrying some kind of gear anyway, and there aren’t any limits on how much capacity you haul that way.
Professional work tools come to mind. Laser measures, camera gear, flashlights, 3D scanners, calculators, etc. Sure, there are apps that offer the same functions, but they usually lack the precision and reliability expected from professional tools. There are also some great gaming devices (such as the Analogue Pocket) that probably offer a better experience over gaming on a smartphone.
I’ll answer my own question, “Fans”. You can absolutely buy a small fan or even one you can wear, but a smart phone can’t blow air to cool a person down.
I stand corrected.
I had a very compact fan that plugged right into the lightning port on iPhones. I got a new phone and it stopped working, unfortunately
Not electronic, but definitely a (set of) gadgets: a compact set of tools. Specifically, I carry a Wera Tool Check, but most any multi-tool with bits and adapters will do, e.g. the old Gerber Diesel with the bit set and carrier.
Regarding useful and reliable, it’s Wera, so high quality, and I’ve saved so much bacon (including my own) with this kit.
In these responses I tend to omit obvious items that have no digital component unless there’s an app that can function as the non-digital item. So, no knives or multi-tools.
Along with the mirror, tape measures fall into this category. I’ve tried several digital length-measuring apps, but none provide and accuracy that I’d rely on. I do, however, own a laser measure about the size of a Bic lighter that is extremely accurate; it’s digital, portable, and accurate, so I think it counts.
Even that laser measure isn’t good enough to replace a real, physical measure for detail work, but apps can replace neither except in an emergency, and even then are useless except for coarse-grained measurements.
how bout car keys
Shank
The galaxy notes solved that… when thay were around.
- A pocket notebook and a ballpoint pen, for quick note taking. Edit: add to that a pocket watercolor set and a brush, for quick sketching
- A pocket book, for on the go reading
- My (mechanical) wrist watch
I don’t care if the smartphone can be used to take notes, to read and has an extra precise clock. I much prefer my analog tools. They don’t require upgrade, they don’t need recharging, no one will ever try to stole them (my watch is not fancy at all, it’s just mechanical ;) and, well, I prefer using those.
I’d argue phones are actually better pocket books. Assuming looking at a screen does not bother you:
- it’s much more compact, can be held in one hand and you can carry multiple 800 page books. I’ve never actually seen a pocket book that can fit in a pocket.
- you can adjust font, text size and brightness (some font choices in printed books are just terrible)
- does not need an external light source
- you can quickly look up words and take notes without needing external items
Requiring a battery is a downside but most reading apps consume very little power compared to other apps.
I’d argue phones are actually better pocket books.
It’s obviously a matter of personal preferences, which is absolutely fine.
As far as I’m concerned, I prefer print for these reasons, and for context I have been reading ebooks since I have owned a Palm Pilot PDA in the early 00s, so not reading them is a decision and a choice, it is not an allergy to them or to the tech:
- Print fully respect my privacy.
There is no tracking and no spying on my reading habits. That’s also why I read print newspapers and magazines as much as I can. - No remote deleting of ebooks after purchase.
Like Amazon and Microsoft already did. They refunded customers but that’s not how private property is supposed to work: I pay for a good, I own it its previous owner taht sold it to me can’t decide to enter my home to take it back, even if they were to leave some cash on the table. - No remote editing possible.
No matter if one book or one word in it suddenly becomes unpopular or offensive to anyone. - No notifications, social media, games, email, whatever, to distract me.
- Does not need external light either.
Try to beat day light and at night, or when the sun plays hide 'n seek, well, I have access to this revolutionary piece of high-tech called ‘lamps’ that are lying around absolutely everywhere in our home and, as far as I can tell, are also everywhere I may find myself wanting to read a book. - Does not need batteries, and no recharging.
The same with my watch, btw: no battery, just a spring I rewind every morning after I shower and when I put it to my wrist. It has been working wonder for years and its manufacturer has yet to send my a message telling my watch is tool old and I need to purchase a new model to get updates… because there are none ;) - Does not need app and system updates.
- Does not need Internet.
- Unlike a smartphone, a book itself does not need to be replaced every few years by a new one (aka creating always more e-waste). Talking about phones, here, not e-readers that may last many, many years.
BTW, I seldom need to quickly look up a word either. When I don’t know a word and if I can’t figure out its meaning by using the context it is used in, aka surrounding sentences, I write it down in my pocket notebook (which also requires no battery, no upgrade, doesn’t track me either, etc.) and look it back at home in one of my… paper dictionaries (which don’t push ads into my face, don’t track me, and so on)
you can adjust font, text size and brightness (some font choices in printed books are just terrible)
This is the one advantage I find to ebooks in general (the reader is in charge of the display… depending the app used) but getting that freedom you also instantly lose access to the excellent page layout many publishers work hard on. Sure there are a few dickheads in the field but a majority are not at least those whose catalog I enjoy reading.
And, most ebook page layout is, well, what word did you use? Terrible? You would be right.
I’ve never actually seen a pocket book that can fit in a pocket.
There are (I would say I can fit most poetry books and many plays in my jeans back pocket but I don’t really), the idea is that those small books are easy to carry and are cheap (at least back in then they were supposed to be). It also depends a lot what one reads.
Edit:
it’s much more compact, can be held in one hand and you can carry multiple 800 page books.
I don’t need to carry that. On my desk I have dozens of books and references volumes opened at once (that would be expensive to do the same with multiple phones, right? ;) but I only carry with me a single pocket book so I can read on the go. I do not need my entire library, not even a couple 800, or even 1600 pages books ;)
Edit: if you’re willing to read more of my reasoning to stop using ebooks (I should say ebooks sold by Gafam, as I will still by self-published ebooks when there are DRM-free and there is no print available) and refocus my reading on print instead, I’ve published a couple blog post. Link in my profile.
I carry a jailbroken Kobo with wifi disabled. That solves most of the issues you have described here. I sideload DRM-free ebooks. I can’t stand reading text on my phone’s LCD screen (and OLED is worse), but eink screens are totally different, my eyes like them.
Does not need external light either
Lamps exist
That’s exactly what external light means. If you need to sit near a lamp to read your book, then you are relying on external light.
Btw, I agree with the point in general you’re trying to make. Physical books and physical note taking still have a place and are often gone forgotten and underutilized. They can promote greater information retention, due to the tactile experience being mixed into the reading/writing experience.
I carry a jailbroken Kobo with wifi disabled
I used to that with a Kindle. See my answer to the other comment why I decided I did not want to do it anymore.
That’s exactly what external light means. If you need to sit near a lamp to read your book, then you are relying on external light.
The idea was that I do not need an extra light because, well, there are plenty all around but, you’re right, that’s what an extra light means. They’re just already there ;)
The idea was that I do not need an extra light because, well, there are plenty all around
The biggest counterpoint I have is simply that I enjoy camping. Good luck finding a desk lamp when you’re 5 miles into the woods. And I’m not wasting my flashlight’s precious battery life on reading.
About half of those issues are solved by drm-free ebooks (or piracy). True, a phone comes with extra work (charging, updating, upgrading every few years) so if you’re not already maintaining one you obviously won’t do it just to read books.
The rest is up to use case. I do need to look up words a lot (usually in other languages) and a bus stop after dark will never have enough light for reading. If you read at home I guess these aren’t issues, but pocket books are meant to be read on the road.
About the formatting there are some books which should absolutely not be read as ebooks cause you’ll miss out on things. But most books are a block of text split in chapters and paragraphs. A phone can absolutely support that.
Anyway, it’s mostly up to use case and preference as you say.
About half of those issues are solved by drm-free ebooks
My iPhone or Kindle will still track my reading habits when I read a drm-free or pirated book (which I tend to avoid as I want to support authors and publishers and I can afford to). For years, I have been using a Kindle that I disconnected from the Web after activation, it was working fine but then I realized we should not have to fight that situation to begin with: our privacy should be respected out of the box. Since I decided to not compromise anymore on that, well, I quit using those device. Like I said, it’s just a personal choice in favor of my privacy (not an allergy to tech itself, just to the way it has been hijacked to become a spying tool)
I do need to look up words a lot (usually in other languages)
So do I (be it in my native French and in the few others I pretend to speak). But like I said, I also never need to get instant access to a dictionary either. So it can wait I get back home.
and a bus stop after dark will never have enough light for reading. If you read at home I guess these aren’t issues, but pocket books are meant to be read on the road.
I would say (pocket) books are meant to be read and would not have any expectation on where and when people are supposed to be reading them. Then, I don’t read when I’m moving (I get sick). I will read at a bus stop or waiting in a line anywhere if there is enough light. If there is not enough, I will either write stuff in my notebook (even dim light is enough to jot down quick notes), or I will think about stuff.
About the formatting there are some books which should absolutely not be read as ebooks cause you’ll miss out on things. But most books are a block of text split in chapters and paragraphs. A phone can absolutely support that.
Typography and page layout was once a thing. It was considered kind of an art form even. I feel a bit sad to see it boiled down to some ‘block of text split in chapters’ but it could also just be a sign that I’m getting old and out of touch. Which is to be expected too ;)
Thx for the discussion, it was interesting.
After seeing the edits, it seems we have wildly different use cases/priorities. I’ll check the blog too, it seems interesting, thanks.
Typography and page layout was once a thing. It was considered kind of an art form even.
Honestly I’d love to see that because it feels pretty rare right now.
- Print fully respect my privacy.
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Totally agree. The only game I play on my phone is Balatro.
Agreed. I play Scopa sometimes. That’s it.
If you haven’t experimented with roms and emulators yet, many old school games play great on a smartphone. The biggest downside is the touchscreen controls overlay will never compare to an actual controller, but it’s close enough that it’s… well, close enough.
Nintendo’s entire library from their inception as a company through all of their N64 content is a grand total of like 20gb, the vast majority of which being N64. Roms from previous console/handheld games are tiny.
No idea what the current best emulators are; for the games, drop into places like thepiratebay and search for things like “SNES Romset” for the entire library.
Use a VPN. Yar.
play great on a smartphone.
Physical controls are a necessity for retro games. Get a Miyoo Mini Plus or equivalent. They make retro games playable.
Sbcgaming or whatever its called is a good sub for that, handheld gaming has taken off, its gotten solid, you could also android phone with any of the controller cases, I just dont game as much or id be into them
Physical controls are significantly better, but not strictly necessary. The kicker is needing to press 3+ buttons at the same time, like in Mario 64 pressing forward to run, Z to slide, and A to jump is a PITA on touchscreen.
I’ve played through Mario 64, Zelda OOT and Zelda MM all on touchscreen on mobile, and it’s -again- good enough. It scratches the nostalgia itch. But 100%, if you have a bluetooth controller or something, use it.
You can get a controller for any smartphone out there. Also RPG’s play fine with touch controls, that’s how I played Pokémon games with no issues.
I know that iPhone supports pretty much any Bluetooth controller.
Joycons, PS4/5 controller, and Xbox controllers all work great on it.
Be careful with Xbox controllers if you’re using Bluetooth. Microsoft only started including Bluetooth in their controllers in the last few years. The Xbox consoles all the way from the 360 actually use 2.4GHz (same band as WiFi) instead.
That’s part of why Xbox controllers are so much bigger and heavier than things like the PlayStation controllers; The 2.4GHz circuitry and antenna takes a lot more space than Bluetooth does.
If you’re going to get an Xbox controller for Bluetooth, at least look up how to identify which models have Bluetooth built in.
There are also fan run repositories of games hosted through Myrient and the Internet Archive if you just want some specific titles or need a particular version for patching.
For emulation, personally I like RetroArch over individual emulators for simplicity. Can recommend SameBoy & Gambatte for GB+GBC, mGBA for GBA, melonDS DS for NDS, & Snes9x for SNES. All are accurate (so not likely to make a game bug out) & run fine on my midrange phone.
The touch controls work fine for games where timing/precision matters less, and for the rest I just use a BT controller. Xbox & PS ones are compatible, I believe, & there are some great quality 3rd party ones (like 8bitDo) out there.
Early in the mobile gaming world, it was looking like mobile games would catch up with consoles within a few years, but then Angry Birds made more money than anyone ever imagined with half thr effort, and then Clash of Clans did the same thing again, and suddenly the idea of working hard and making a good mobile game seemed like a silly waste of time.
I just emulate things nowadays. I have pretty much the entire NES, SNES, GBC, GBA, N64, NDS, and PSX libraries on my phone ready to go. And it works perfectly fine with any Bluetooth controller, because touchscreen controls are… Well… Complete fucking garbage.
I’m currently playing through the NDS version of Chrono Trigger in my free time. And since all of the games are stored locally, it doesn’t use any data at all. I recently went camping for a week, and my iPad lasted like 7 or 8 hours of playtime (on low brightness because I was in a tent at night) off of a single charge.
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That’s why I bought a 3DS :)
Have you seen trimui, abernic, etc. products
Yeah, I had one of these cheap retro handhelds, but I lost it somehow. I have been thinking about getting another one, but for now I am either using 3DS or RetroArch on my smartphone.
I think a ds lite is still the best value in gaming although the prices have gone up in the past few years. You can get a decent bundle with games and accessories for $50 plus theres those sd card cartdridges for it and you can play gba cartdriges. Battery life is unfathomable and they’re pretty durable
plus theres those sd card cartdridges for it
If you’re willing to get a flashcart for your NDS, you might as well just get a 3DS and load up some custom firmware instead. It’s stupid easy to hack with the SD card slot, and you can play whatever games you want for free. No need to fiddle with flashcarts when you can just use the 3DS’ built in SD card slot instead.
A Vibrator.
Never had an older Nokia?
Have I got an app for you!
:-D ~~~
RrrrrRrrrrrRrrrr~RRRRRRRRIs that the same though? I don’t have the right parts to know, and the procedure to find out makes it easier to ask.
Men can, well you know…
But depending on the size of your phone it takes more bravery.
I can’t vape weed with my phone yet.
Not with that attitude
Would you believe me if I said there is even a phone vape now?
I would need to see it to believe it.
Electric Toothbrush. Keeping up with Dental Hygiene is important too!
Own one. Definitely recommend it and ribbon floss.
Would love to have one, but my neurologist said even slight vibrations in my mouth can fuck with my epilepsy. That means a migraine because my medicine prevents seizures. Going to the dentist is an affair that wrecks me for the whole day.
It’s OK. My dentist thinks electric toothbrushes are too harsh on your teeth and shames anyone who even brings up the subject. So at least 1 dentist thinks it’s junk. He prefers soft bristles that you softly glide across your teeth by hand.
Soft bristles are pretty much the only thing anyone should use, regardless of whether or not it’s electric. Hard bristles are too harsh on your gums.
My hands.
